India to be among top ten markets for GM by 2011

Deepak Sharma
Shanghai, May 30 (PTI) Buoyed by the increase in sales
after the launch of the small car Beat, along with the robust
growth in the Indian automobile sector, car maker General
Motors expects India to figure amongst its top ten markets
globally by next year.
"I think by 2011, India should be among the top ten
markets for General Motors globally... and I would be really
surprised, if it doesn't happen...," General Motors (GM) China
Group President and Managing Director Kevin E Wale told PTI
here.
As per the information available, in 2009, the total
sales of the company in India stood at 69,579 units. However,
with the launch of its global small car Beat it expects to
achieve a sale of 100,000 units in the current year.
GM had launched Beat in the Indian market earlier this
year during the Auto Expo and it is now the highest selling
vehicle from its portfolio in the country.
Currently with the sale of over 2 million units, US is
the largest market for the Detriot-based company followed by
China at 1.8 million units.
The company expects that as the Indian automobile market
is growing at a double digit rate, the country may soon enter
into top ten markets globally by replacing Australia, which is
at the 10th place with a sale of 1.2 lakh units.
Indian automobile industry has reported a growth of 26.41
per cent growth in sales in 2009-10 riding on the government's
stimulus packages that perked demand, making it the second
fastest growing market in the world after China.
Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) had
forecast 10-14 per cent growth for the industry during
2010-11.
According to the information provided by SIAM, the total
Indian market for passenger cars in 2009-10 rose by over 25
per cent to 1.5 million units from 1.2 million units.
General Motors is operating in India for the last 13
years and it sell cars in the country under the Chevrolet
brand, which was introduced in 2003. PTI DSH
RBT


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